Portable house.



D. G. SLATER.

PORTABLE HOUSE.

APPLICATION mum JUNE 1, 1909.

fiQgQY, v Patented May 31,1910. r A 3 l D. 0. SLATER.

PORTABLE HOUSE.

APPLICATION FILED JUEE l, 1909.

Patented Ea 31, 1910.

a snags-131mm 2.

LVIEA/ATOR WITNESSES D. C. SLATER.

PORTABLE HOUSE. APPLICATION FILED j'UNE 1, 1909.

. IVITNVESSES W aggjiNVEfi fQR TINTTED @TATES PATEN T @FFTQTZ.

DWIGHT C. SLATER, OF ESSEX JUNCTION, VERMONT.

PORTABLE HOUSE.

Application filed June 1, 1909. Serial No. 499,280.

novel structures and means for carryingthese objects into effect.

In one aspect of the invention the object as broadly expressed contemplates a house of this character which maybe expeditiously assembled or put up without the use of tools; which is comprised of sections, which, when disassociated, may be compactly stored for transportation, and the absence of projectingportions permits a close packing of the parts of the house.

Another object is the utilization of means for adjusting the house, after erection, to a plumb position and to the desired elevation from the ground.

In general, therefore, it may be said that in such a structure as I have devised, I combine the important features and advantages of simplicity and durability, and provide certain novel devices and features of construction to accomplish these ends.

' line 2-2 Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view, in section, showing the connection between the roof, ceiling and side wall of the house. Fig. at is a similar view of the means for securing the bottom of the side walls to the -floor. Fig. 5 illustrates the manner of securing two casings to a side Wall. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Inlay 31, 19%

locking plate, which is used throughout the entire construction, as a portion ofthe means for locking the members together. F 7 is a view in elevation partly broken away, showing the house support and means for adjusting the elevation of the erected house. Fig. 8 illustrates the manner in which the house is packed for transportation,and Fig. 9 is a cross section of Fig. 8 showing the sections or frames of the house inclosed in the box of Fig. 8 which is composed of floor sections.

The house as constructed comprises a sectlonal base, or floor sections 1; side wall sections or frames as 2 in which the windows 3 and doors 4 are permanently hinged, and roof sections 5, which are hinged'together as at 6 in order that they may be compactly folded together. Preferably, the side wall sections have a canvas covering 9 both upon the interior and exterior, the former for decoration and the latter for painting or otherwise coating for preservation, and

against exposureto the weather. The floor and roof sections are also provided with a canvas or other covering. In all cases the canvas is secured to the face of the frames or sections by means of a half round tongue 10 which is seated in a complementary groove 11. The canvas ends are pressed into the grooves andare tightly held therein by means of the tongues which are secured, as by nails or screws, in the grooves, as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

The different port-ions of the house are locked together by detachable means, the locking plate l2,'illustrated in Fig. 6 being utilized in all cases. This plate is .provided with a key-hole slot 13 formed with an enlarged portion 14, through which the head 15 of pins 16 is adapted to pass. As shown in Fig. at, which illustrates the connection between the floor and a. side wall, the pin is carried by a plate 17 secured to the floorcleat 18, through its connection with the cleat-plate 19. The plate 19is formed with an opening 20 through which the threaded end 21 of the plate l7 is passed, and the plates/17 and 19 are clamped together the winged nut 22.

the cleat by screws as 2-3. The locking plate the house, but all frames are secured to the floor as illustrated in Fig.4.

In Fig. 5 the manner of looking all casings is shown. The locking plate 12 is-embedded in the inner and outer casings 27 and 28 respectively and the plates are connected by means of the double headed pin 29, which is passed through a hole 30 in the side wall,

and its heads 31 retain the casings in position through the medium of the locking plates as will be understood. These parts may be assembled by first attaching one casing to the wall with the head 31 protruding through the slotted plate 12, and then attaching the second casingat the other side ofthe wall by hanging the casing over the second head, in manner as previously described.

' I employ a novel and specially constructed brace to secure the side walls, roof and ceiling members together. This brace is a triangular shaped metallic piece 32 having its ends secured together by a rivet 33, and formed with a headed pin 16. The brace is attached to the upper portion of the ceiling 34 by means of the usual locking plate 12 and head 15, and similar means are employed for attaching the roof. The upper end of the side wall is clamped between the roof and ceiling by means of the bent end 35 of the brace, and a hand screw 36 clamps the side wall and ceiling portions.

In theerection of the house, with the side walls attached to the floor sections and their cleats as described, the ceiling is suspended at the top of the side walls by means of the bent ends of the triangular braces, which are spaced at intervals about the sides of the house. The hinged sectional roof portion is then placed in position and attached to the ceiling and side walls by means of the lock plates and headedpins on the braces. The triangular braces thus lock thewalls 'to the ceiling and receive and support the roof portions, in such manner that the different parts co-act to hold the house rigid against the action of the elements.

The erected building is supported on sleepers, as 37, and may be elevated and sustained from the ground by means of the novel posts 38. As clearly shown in F ig. 7 these posts 38 are each provided with a forked head or bracket 39 secured by screw threads to the upper end "of the post, and an integral horn or sharpened lug 40 is projected from the base of the head. The plate 41 is adjustable on the post by means of the set screw 42 as will be understood. In actual practice, the posts are embedded in the ground to the desired depth, the sleepers are laid in the forked heads 39., and are held against lateral movement by the engagement of the sharpened lug 40 which enters the sleeper. With the house thus supported, it

may be bodily raised or lowered until the desired height is acquired, when the plates 41 are brought into use and are clamped to the post so that they rest upon the surface ofthe ground and form a rigid and substantial supporting means.

A novel and important feature of the invention is its adaptability for camping purposes and the ease with which the entire outfit may be transported.

After the house is dismantled the sections are compactly stored as illustrated in Figs.

.8 and 9. The floor sections are formed into a box, designated as a whole by the numeral 43, the attaching-plates 19 being utilized in connection with plates 44 similar to-plates 1'7 in Fig. 4, to fastenthe top, bottom, and sides of the box together. The front and rear ends of the box may be conveniently closed by camp tables as 45, and the house sections, as'side walls, ceiling and roof members are stored within the box, as shown in the sectional view Fig. 9. A draft rigging 46 is secured to the box and is connected by the transverse rod 47 to the two arms 48 of the spring supported front axle stubs 49. These axles are formed with an upright post 50 which is movable within the casing 51 and supported therein by means of the spring 52. The bracket 53, of which the casing 51 is an integral portion, is secured to the box by key-hole slots 54 and pin heads 55. The rear axle 56 is provided with a pair of upright posts 57 which are spring supported in the bracket 58, and the bracket is secured to the box in manner similar to the bracket 53. Suitable wheels, not shown are to be journaled on the axles, and when horses are attached to the draft rigging, the entire outfit may be transported with facility.

From the foregoing description taken in connection'with the drawings it is obvious that I have provided a device which fulfils all the conditions set forth as the purpose of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- I 1. The combination with a house as described and its supporting sleepers, of a series of upright posts with brackets thereon, to receive the sleepers, and adjustable foot plates on said posts. I

2. In a portable house, the combination with the ceiling and roof sections having recesses formed therein, of locking plates secured to the sections above said recesses, and

angular braces bearing means for engaging the locking plates to secure the sections in position with respect to each other.

3. In a portable house, the combination withv the ceiling and roof sections having recesses formed therein, of plates secured to the sections above said recesses, said plates having centrally disposed key-hole slots formed therein, and an angular brace having headed pins projecting therefrom, said pins being adapted to be inserted in the slots in the plates with their heads received in the recesses and slid into the narrow portion of the slots, locking the sections to the brace and retaining them in position with refer ence to each other.

4. In a. portable house, the combination with the ceiling and roof sections having recesses formed therein, of locking plates secured to the sections above said recesses, and braces bearing means for engaging the looking plates to secure the sections in position with respect to each other, said braces being of triangular shape and project-ing outward beyond the sealing section, the portion of the brace at the projecting vertex being bent downward at right angles to the plane of the ceiling section and being adapted to be secured to the side wall section to secure said latter section between said ceiling section.

5. In a portable house, a floor, a sill carried thereby, a plate having a slot formed therein secured-to the under side of the sill and projecting therefrom,'a side wall section supported by the sill, said sectionhaving a recess formed therein,-a key-hole slotted plate surmounting said recess, means engaged in said slot and projecting into the recess, the

lower end of the means extending through the slot in'the sill late, and means engaged on the end of the rst mentioned means for locking them in place and thus to secure the floor and side wall'sections together.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

DWIGHT O. SLATER. Witnesses;

ALLEN MARTIN, GUY W. BAILEY.

portion and the 

